Metaphor of the Elephant, Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Vol. 32

 

Metaphor of the Elephant 

Virtuous disciples! There was once a king  who told his minister, “Go get an elephant and show it to the ones who are blind.” The minister at once  gathered  a mass of blind people and presented them with an elephant. Each of the blind people then began to touch the elephant with his or her hands. The minister returned to his king and reported: 

“Mission accomplished.” 

Thereupon, the king called forth the assembly of blind people and asked them, “Did you see the elephant?”

All the blind people replied, “I did.” 

“What does the elephant look like?” asked the king.

Those who had touched the elephant’s tusk said that the elephant was like a taro plant. Those who had stroked the elephant’s ears said that the elephant was like a dustpan. Those who had touched the elephant’s crown said that the elephant was like a stone. Those who had touched the elephant’s trunk said that the elephant was like a pestle. Those who had touched the elephant’s foot said that the elephant was like a wooden mortar. Those who had touched the elephant’s backbone said that the elephant was like a bed. Those who had touched the elephant’s abdomen said that the elephant was like an urn. Those who had grabbed the elephant’s tail said that the elephant was like a rope.  

Virtuous disciples! Those people were indeed blind. They did not speak about the elephant as a whole, but they did speak about it. The various characteristics that they mentioned cannot be equated with the elephant, but there is no elephant to speak of beyond those characteristics. 

Virtuous disciples! The king is a metaphor for the Tathagata, the One with perfect and complete enlightenment. The minister is a metaphor for the extensive teachings of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra. The elephant is a metaphor for the buddha-nature. Finally, blindness is a metaphor for all ignorant sentient beings. 

《大般涅槃經》卷32

「善男子！譬如有王告一大臣，汝牽一象以示盲者。爾時大臣受王勅已，多集眾盲，以象示之。時彼眾盲各以手觸，大臣即還而白王言：『臣已示竟。』爾時大王即喚眾盲各各問言：『汝見象耶？』眾盲各言：『我已得見。』王言：『象為何類？』其觸牙者，即言象形如蘆菔根；其觸耳者，言象如箕；其觸頭者，言象如石；其觸鼻者，言象如杵；其觸脚者，言象如木臼；其觸脊者，言象如床；其觸腹者，言象如甕；其觸尾者，言象如繩。善男子！如彼眾盲，不說象體，亦非不說。若是眾相，悉非象者，離是之外，更無別象。善男子！王喻如來正遍知也，臣喻方等大涅槃經，象喻佛性，盲喻一切無明眾生。」

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